Resounding applause is rolling out in the direction of Nigeria Netball Federation (NNF) president, Dr Esther Oluwatoyin Aluko, following her successful arrangement of a first ever international friendly match for the country, and a venue in London set to host the game.
Sports247 gathered that the match, which will come up on Friday, will be part of a maiden multi-sports competition among talents of Nigerian descent in the diaspora, slated to take place at University of Hertfordshire sports centre.
The competition is organised by Nigeria Diaspora Talents Development Committee (NDTDC), which was set up by the National Sports Commission (NSC) to ensure that athletes born abroad to parents who hail from the country are discovered early and encounraged to reprerent their nation of origin.
Friday’s friendly between Nigeria’s diaspora netball team and a Pakistani squad has been cited as a major attraction on the opening day of the maiden competition, with accolades heralding the NNF’s efforts at building a strong national team loaded with overseas-born players.
While heaping superlatives on Dr Aluko for her eforts, NSC’s director-egeneral, Honourable Bukola Olopade pointed out that netball was a prominent sport during Nigeria’s imediate post-independence days, but it has faded ominously across the nation in recent years.
Olopade acknowleded the NNF’s efforts in changing the narrative and noted that support from the NDTDC has increased the prospects of a bouyant revival for netball in Nigeria, which he believes the friendly on Friday is bound to hasten and concretise more than ever.
The NSC’s DG also acknowledged the role played by the NDTDC’s chairman, Dr. Tunde Adelakun, who Olopade praised for monitoring netball players of Nigerian descent and keeping in touch with them, while equally impresing on them the need to commit their international allegiance to the country.
“I am aware of the immense work put in by NNF president, Dr. Mrs Esther Aluko, and chairman of the Diaspora Talents Development Committee, Dr. Tunde Adelakun, to ensure that we get many of these our talented netballers across the world to represent Nigeria.
“When you take note that most of the best netballers in the world are Nigerians, this is very encouraging. Adelakun and his team have been in constant touch with these netballers and the NNF, and they all keep saying that they want to play for Nigeria.
“Adelakun was one of those that have been mounting pressure on us to accord Federation status on netball. He has been compiling this list for a while in conjunction with Dr. Aluko. Honestly, their efforts and passion give us the encouragement to do this.
“We are so certain that Nigeria will soon be a global force in netball. We will take the sport to the schools. But, because this sport is more prominent abroad, we have ready-made diaspora athletes to put us on the global map,” Olopade submitted.
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